This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the preparation for sterilisation of thin-body flexible containers (generally known as “pouches”). These containers are typically used to contain food products such as fruit juices, yoghurt, fruit or vegetable purée, creams, honey and the like, or medicines, and the like.
In the food industry, the sterilisation of this type of container has enormous importance for the prevention of infections and the correct preservation of the food contained in it.
Sometimes, a chemical sterilisation is performed, during which the container is washed with disinfectants, for example hydrogen peroxide, and then dried, before being sent to subsequent filling.
However, chemical sterilisation has some disadvantages such as, for example, the presence of disinfectant residues in the dry container or the presence of areas not disinfected due to complex geometries or irregularities of the container. This disadvantage is particularly felt precisely in the pouch industry.
While, sterilisation by ionising radiation, such as gamma rays or electron beams, is very widespread. For example, the Applicant is the holder of patents EP 2701751 and EP 2701979, relating to electron-beam sterilisation systems.
Usually, sterilisation using ionising radiation is carried out in specialised centres, to which the producer subject of the containers sends them to be treated; after sterilisation, sterile containers are sent to the company who fills and closes them, using techniques that allow maintaining sterile conditions inside the container. These logistics obviously imply considerable transport costs between the sites and a significant management complexity of the containers within the sites themselves.